Advanced Education courses

The high level of research of the Sant'Anna School is recognized by the results of the Quality Assessment Research (VQR) for 2004-2010 conducted by the ANVUR. The international magazine "Times Higher Education" ranked the school among the best universities in the World University Rankings 2015-2016.

Phd

Translational Medicine

The mission of the PhD Programme in Translational Medicine (henceforth named Programme) is to educate and train post-graduate students with diverse academic backgrounds and highly motivated to pursue a career in experimental biomedicine and/or clinical research. Special emphasis is put on the multidisciplinary approach in the area of cardiovascular sciences, with the ultimate aim of translating the results of laboratory and clinical research into novel and more effective diagnostic procedures and therapeutic strategies. A qualifying part of the curriculum is centered on basic and applied research towards development and validation of new drugs, nutraceuticals, therapeutic nanovectors and biomedical devices. On completion of the Programme, the PhD students is expected to have acquired a high level of training in experimental and/or clinical research methodologies, plus excellent skills in written and oral scientific communication.

The Programme offers 3 curricula:

1) Systems Physiology and Pathophysiology, Experimental and Clinical;

2) Molecular Physiology and Medicine;

3) Drug Discovery.

Each curriculum entails specific lines of research that the applicant ought to consider when he/she applies to the Programme.

Courses and Research Activities

The duration of the Programme is 3 years. While the PhD students start working at their thesis project during the first year of the Programme, they are also expected to attend mandatory courses in Scientific Communication, Scientific English, Biostatistics and Clinical Statistics, Laboratory Methodology, as well as a Workshops and Journal Clubs, equivalent to a total of 11 CFU over the 3 years. In addition, the PhD students are encouraged to attend a variety of elective courses, choosing them on the basis of their specific interests. The Programme culminates with a general examination and the thesis defense.

For the accomplishment of their research projects, the PhD students rely on a very qualified and fertile scientific environment. In fact, they can choose among numerous laboratories and academic clinical units available in Pisa. Some of these are part of the research facilities of the Scuola Sant’Anna and others belong to at least two other Institutions formally involved in the Programme, namely the National Council for Research and the Fondazione Gabriele Monasterio. In some cases, ad hoc agreements are stipulated with laboratories and clinical units of the University of Pisa. Finally, PhD students pursuing the curriculum in Drug Discovery may complete part of all of their research projects at the Italian Institute of Technology, in Genova.

Admissions and Requirements

Candidates apply in response to the annual call publicized via the Scuola Sant’Anna web site. They must hold a Master Degree or a Medical Degree or equivalent and are selected by an Examination Committee that evaluates their academic curriculum and their proposed research plan, which should be relevant to the lines of research characterizing the Curricula offered by the Programme. The candidates will be admitted to the Programme according to the ranking assigned to them by the Examination Committee.

Positions Available

8 positions with scholarship are available (1 position is reserved for citizens of NON-EU Countries): 4 are funded by the Scuola Sant’Anna, 1 by the institute of Clinical Physiology of the National Council for Research and 2 by the Italian Institute of Technology.

The number of positions with scholarship may be increased if further funding becomes available.

Scholarships are paid in form of monthly stipends, include pension benefits and are renewed yearly only if the necessary requirements are satisfied by the PhD student.

How to Contact Us

To obtain more information please write to the following e-mail address: